Life After the Infection
by TheFlurryofMelodiousFlames
Summary: After the Infection, the team had made it to safety, but Nick had stayed true to his word and fled from them as soon as they did. Soon, however, he regrets the decision as his feelings for Ellis and the habits he had formed during his time fighting the Infected refused to leave him. The summary isn't great, but I hope the story is better. Enjoy.
1. Nick

A/N: Alright, so this has been a very long time coming and I'm sorry for the unforgivably long wait, but I've finally done it. It is short, but I'm working on part two and will eventually get part 3 done. This took WAY longer than planned. Anyways, this is my first attempt of a L4D story, so I hope you all enjoy it. (:

Warnings: Slight mentions of sex, alcohol, and gambling; Mild language.

Disclaimer: I hold no ownership to Left 4 Dead or the relating topics. I do not make any profit at all from the works I write for the fandom. All rights belong to Valve.

~LIVE AFTER THE INFECTION: NICK~

Some things just never change. The world went to shit when the Green Flu hit, but eventually, the government found a way to contain it and life slowly went back to normal. Nick was finally able to escape the three people he was somewhat forced to team up with.

His life was trying to return to the way it was before, but after all he had been through, it was difficult. He would often find himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and start talking. He would speak the way he did to Rochelle when she was on watch and he couldn't sleep. He would murmur the way he did to Coach when they were checking their stock of ammo and bandages. He would whisper the way he had when Ellis was laying beside him at night, injured and scared he might be dying.

He tried to distract himself with his old gambling methods and cheap women who wanted nothing more than to forget the Zombie Infection. None of it ever worked. The skin of the female body felt too fragile to the touch. The cards and dice felt far too light in his grasp. The taste of alcohol and cigarettes was sickening on his tongue.

He'd become a different man during the apocalypse. He was much softer now, a better person. He'd spent months risking his life for the sake of people he'd barely met on the roof of a hotel and, in time, grew fond of them. He ran halfway across the country, trying to seek safety and possibly a new start with them. He fell in love with a hick mechanic from Savannah, found a sister in a news reporter, and a father figure in an ex football coach. He had found a family, people who had slowly began to really care for him, just to throw it away the first chance he got.

To make matters worse, he left when Ellis had needed him most. They had found the safety they had desperately fought for; A large camp guarded by the military to house those who had made it out of the Infected areas without catching the Infection. Ellis was reunited with his old friend Dave and was excited to catch up with him, until he gave him the grim news that his best buddy Keith had been bitten and had to be shot to stop him from turning. He should have stayed there to comfort his little firecracker, but instead, he turned heel and fled as fast as he could, eventually making it to a safe zone far away from the camp. This was something he now deeply regretted.

Some things don't ever change. Nick had formed new habits during the Infection. He learned to look out for others, to love, to care, and to protect. He may have changed from the asshole of a man he was before, but the gentler side of him the devastation of the Zombie Apocalypse had unlocked sure as hell wasn't going anywhere. He had to make it back to them. He had to find Ellis and make things right before it was too late. He had to find a way. He had to fix the mistakes he had made, even if it was a lost cause.

~END CHAPTER ONE~

A/N: Well, there you have it. It took forever, but I think I did well enough. Please let me know what you think. The next part will be up as soon as possible and hopefully will not take as long as this one had.

~TheFlurryofMelodiousFlames


	2. Ellis

A/N: Hello, again. I'm so sorry this took so long to get posted. I lost my original draft and had to rewrite it. I am currently sat at a desk in a college dorm super early in the morning when I've not slept yet and have my first class of the Summer Bridge Program in 3 hours because I had a mini panic attack when I tried to get some sleep. I will try to write some more on this story while I'm holed up in this dorm, all alone, for the week. I hope that no one disturbs me in here.

Warnings: Mentions of Character Death, Sad Ellis, Possible Swearing but I could be mistaken (aka, I'm writing the warnings before the story and don't know if any curse words will be included, but added it there just in case.)

Disclaimer: I still own nothing here.

~LIFE AFTER THE INFECTION: ELLIS~

It has been weeks, maybe even months, since they made it to safety. Since he found out his best friend and first love was dead. Since the love of his life walked away and would most likely never to return.

Honestly, he didn't think he would have survived if it weren't for his buddy, Dave. Coach and Rochelle were both moved to a different camp to be with their families that had made it through the military evacs and have more than likely been living happily in quarantine this entire time while they were out there, fighting for their lives to make it here. If Dave had died with Keith, he'd be all alone, left with the heartbreak that none of his family had survived, Keith was shot in the head to keep from turning, and the man he so desperately needed more than anything the moment his world came crashing down around him had fled. The thought was too unbearable for him.

He couldn't sleep at night. He would just lay there in bed, listening to Dave snore heavily as his thoughts drifted back to those nights when he would lay next to Nick and whisper words of comfort to him. The nights when they would try to keep quietly as they made love with Coach and Rochelle asleep in the next room.

He sat up in his bed quickly. He knew what he must do. He knew he had to go to the main office tent and put in a request to leave. He needed to go find Nick. He needed to force him to explain why he left when he needed him most. He would demand the answers to all the questions that had been nagging his mind, plaguing his dream, and hounding him constantly.

But, overall, he would find a way to get him back and make him realize he was wrong to leave, that they needed each other, and let him know who much their love really meant.

He was going to force himself back into Nick's life if it was the last thing he did.

~END CHAPTER TWO~

A/N: I did the thing! Okay. It's three in the morning. I'm super fucking sleepy and I have class in three hours. Sleep is not a thing that's going to happen. Thank you for welcoming me into college life before college even starts. I hope this was a good second part. Part three should be longer than this and include POV's from both men, which will be clearly marked, and it'll have dialogue that I'm sure to mess up somehow. Hopefully, that will be out soonish. If I finish it before class, it'll either be posted later today when I get out of class, or I'll post it before class tomorrow.

Stay cool until then, guys!

~TheFlurryofMelodiousFlames


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